Balanced gameplay: After almost 2 years of playing and testing, I can promise you that the mechanics are well balanced and that any challenge in DBP can be completed in a dozen different ways. Empower your creativity!

Setting:

Dagger by proxy is set during the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. The United States and Soviet Union are waging a cold war, in which they cannot battle each other directly. Instead, they attempt to influence their global political agendas through proxies: organizations and states that will do their bidding... for a price.

On the front lines of this war are small mercenary teams that do the work traditionally executed by spies. Assassinations, revolts, and the gathering of intelligence all performed by individuals who, if caught, cannot implicate their true masters.

Campaigns in DBP can be set anywhere between early 1950s till late 1980s. These years were defined by amazing technological advances, mass paranoia due to 'the communist threat', globalization and, most importantly, CIA sponsored regime changes.

DBP is easy to imagine, as the cold war isn't that far from our current reality. Furthermore, there are thousands of movies, books and even websites that can supply you with information and inspiration for DBP, including historic events that can be used for campaigns. Lastly, the relatively low level of technology during the cold war makes combat and events very much dependent on manpower, instead of computerized system, making it more fun to role-play.

Historic events leading to DBP:

In 1947 president Truman creates the CIA, and the cold war begins. The next year directive 10/2 is put into place: which calls for covert operations to attack the soviets around the world, and gives the CIA the authority to carry out covert operations. They use this directive to corrupt the democratic elections in Italy, to ensure that the communist party does not win the elections.

Then in 1949, the CIA helps overthrow the democratic government of Syria, to allow for the construction of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline. The new situation is unstable, and 2 more coups follow the same year. Several CIA agents are directly involved in the plot, which is discovered and results in a backlash in the years to come.

The director of the CIA is replaced in 1950 after several grave failures. As the Korean war unfolds, the CIA sponsors more and more covert operations in the region. The CIA starts using a network of local handlers rather than CIA agents for contact with groups of operators.

This really takes off in 1951, when the CIA launches directive 24/17, known as 'Dagger by Proxy'. This paves the way for a new level of proxy warfare. A group of trusted handlers (with strong ties to the US department of defense) receives considerable funds to establish a fully independent, private company to assist with cover operations. Dozens of shell companies help hide all CIA involvement.

While traditional covert ops in Korea and China fail, DBP actions in South America succeed. DBP grows more influential and diversifies to further conceal their clients. By the end of 1952, DBP has been hired by the US for actions on South America, by Britain for operations in Iran, and by a group of Egyptian officers to end the British occupation of their country.

In 1953, DBP becomes an entirely independent power, capable of covert actions anywhere in the world. The complex organisational structure not only gives clients anonymity, it also obscures whatever underlying motives DBP might have in hiring said clients. Now, DBP truly begins.

Does this use the West End Games d6 system or a new gaming system which uses six sided dice? I can never be sure which is meant when it lists the game system that way. Thanks in advance for an answer to this.

Amir NNovember 08, 2016 5:48 am UTC

PUBLISHER

Hi Andy! Thank you for your question. I bet you're familiar with the basics of the d6 system: roll 5 or 6 for a hit, or a 1 for a fail. Get better at skills and attributes or specialise to get more dice, and thus improve the chances of having enough hits for the action you had in mind.
Not sure if this answers your question, so I suggest you download DBP for free (pay 0) and check it out. The PDF will feature a link to the online digital character sheet (which automatically calculates rolls), and playing around with that is probably the best way to quickly get a good idea of the rule system :)

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